China on Friday called on the Philippines to strictly restrain the dangerous remarks and actions of certain politicians.
Spokesman for the Ministry of National Defense Chen Xi made the call at a press conference when asked to comment on the recent erroneous remarks on the Taiwan question made by Philippine Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr.
"The Taiwan question is purely China's internal affair. How to resolve it is a matter for the Chinese people and brooks no external interference. The remarks made by certain Philippine politicians stem from political prejudice and self-interest, and run counter to the solemn commitments the Philippine government has made to China on the Taiwan question. We strongly deplore and firmly oppose such statements. China's will to safeguard its sovereignty and territorial integrity and achieve national reunification is unshakable. We urge the Philippine side to strictly restrain the dangerous remarks and actions of certain politicians, earnestly abide by the one-China principle, and safeguard the overall interests of China-Philippines relations with concrete actions," Chen said.
China urges Philippines to restrain dangerous remarks, actions by certain politicians
Residents in Yemen's capital Sanaa held a mass funeral on Wednesday for 43 victims -- mostly women and children -- who were killed after airstrikes hit a residential neighborhood on Saturday, with huge crowds of mourners joining the funeral procession and bemoaning the attacks on innocent civilians.
The strikes hit homes in the Ash Sharyah village of the Bani Hashish district, east of Sanaa, and marked the latest deadly escalation of hostilities in war-torn Yemen which began in mid-July.
The Houthi group that controls Sanaa accused Saudi Arabia of carrying out the attacks as the Saudis continue to back the Yemeni government.
Wednesday's funeral procession began in central Sanaa before moving toward the Bani Hashish district. Alongside the bereaved families, many local residents joined the march, accompanying the coffins to show their support and solidarity in a ceremony that brought the community together in shared grief.
Tawfiq Ibrahim, a relative of the victims, was among those who strongly condemned the attacks.
"We have come here today, on this tragic day, to mourn our sons, women and children who were killed in what we describe as brutal Saudi aggression. The airstrikes targeted civilians, including women and children," he said.
"We join the families of the victims in mourning those killed in the Saudi aggression against the people of Yemen and the innocent residents of Bani Hashish," said Mohammed Khamis, another mourner. Many locals are still trying to process the tragedy, with a resident named Radwan questioning why these innocent people had been targeted in their homes.
"We are here to mourn civilians from Ash Sharyah village in Bani Hashish district, most of whom were killed in Saudi airstrikes. Today, we offer our condolences to their families and relatives over this great tragedy. They were civilians who were killed when their homes were struck in broad daylight. They had done nothing wrong," he said.
Following a four-year truce, Yemen has seen intensified ground fighting and airstrikes in recent months, alongside Houthi missile and drone attacks on Saudi soil.
According to figures released by the Houthi-run Health Ministry on Tuesday, a total of 1,112 people have now been killed or injured in attacks on Yemen since July.
Mourners gather as mass funeral procession held in Yemen's Sanaa following airstrikes
